1.    Any territory which is adjacent to the boundary of an existing hospital district may be annexed to such district in the manner hereinafter provided.

2.    The proceedings for the annexation, referred to in subsection 1, may be initiated by the presentation to the county auditor of a petition signed by thirty percent or more of the qualified electors who are owners of any interest in real property assessed for taxation in the territory to be annexed and who are residing within the boundaries of such territory stating the desires and purposes of such petitioners. The petition must contain a description of the boundaries of the territory proposed to be annexed. It must be accompanied by a map or plat and a deposit for publication costs.

3.    The county auditor shall consult the tax schedules in the county auditor’s office and determine and certify whether or not such petition complies with the requirements of subsection 2 and that the qualified electors signing the same appear to reside within the boundaries described by such petition. Thereafter, the county auditor shall forward such petition, map or plat, and certificate to the board of directors of the district concerned.

4.    Within thirty days after receiving the petition, map or plat, and certificate of the county auditor, in accordance with subsection 3, from the county auditor, such board of directors shall transmit the same to the proper county board, accompanied by a report in writing approving or disapproving the proposal contained in the petition, or approving such proposal in part and disapproving it in part.

5.    If the report of the board of directors, referred to in subsection 4, disapproves the proposal, the petition must be rejected. If the report is favorable to such proposal, either in whole or in part, the board of county commissioners shall give notice of election in the manner prescribed by section 23-30-03 and submit the question to the qualified electors at the next regularly scheduled primary or general election as to whether or not the qualified electors of the proposed area desire to be annexed and whether they approve of the mill levy authorized by section 23-30-07 for the purpose of supporting such hospital district. If at least sixty percent of the qualified electors voting in the election within the territory proposed to be annexed approve, the territory becomes a part of the existing hospital district.